71 lines
12 KiB
HTML
71 lines
12 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
|
|
<html><head>
|
|
<title>Blue Letter Bible: Text Commentaries</title>
|
|
<script src="../../../js/basepath.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script src="./js/nav.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script src="./js/MainHeader.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script>
|
|
currentBook = 'Psa';
|
|
currentChapter = 67;
|
|
PriorBook = 'Nehemiah';
|
|
PriorBookURL = './Comm/david_guzik/sg/Est_1.html';
|
|
PriorChapter = 'Psalm 47';
|
|
PriorChapterURL = './Comm/david_guzik/sg/Psa_47.html';
|
|
NextBook = 'Isaiah';
|
|
NextBookURL = './Comm/david_guzik/sg/Isa_1.html';
|
|
NextChapter = 'Psalm 123';
|
|
NextChapterURL = './Comm/david_guzik/sg/Psa_123.html';
|
|
Title = 'Study Guide for Psalm 67';
|
|
</script>
|
|
<script src="./js/Comms/DG.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
|
|
<h2><span><a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,'all');">Psa 67</a> - A Missionary Psalm</span></h2>
|
|
<p><i><span>This Psalm has a heart to see God's way, God's salvation, and God's praise extended all through the earth.</span></i></p>
|
|
<p><span>A. A request and reason for blessing.</span></p>
|
|
<p class="c1"><span>1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,1);">1</a>) A request for blessing.</span></p>
|
|
<p class="c2">God be merciful to us and bless us,<br><i>And </i>cause His face to shine upon us. Selah</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">God be merciful to us and bless us</span></b>: The words come from the Aaronic Blessing of <a onclick="return mV('Num',6,'24-26');">Num 6:24-26</a>, where the High Priest of Israel would pronounce this beautiful blessing upon the people.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">God be merciful to us</span></b>: The Psalmist first knew his need for mercy. This sets our heart in the right frame of mind; sinners who need the mercy of God. One may need more mercy than another, but we all need mercy.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. "The best saints and the worst sinners may unite in this petition." (Spurgeon)</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">And bless us</span></b>: Beyond the mercy of God – which He could show simply by leaving us alone, by <i>not</i> <span>destroying</span> us – we want God to <b><span class="c3">bless us</span></b> also. Can you imagine a guilty criminal before a judge, pleading for mercy, and receiving it – and then asking for a blessing! But God's love towards us is that great.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">And cause His face to shine upon us</span></b>: To have the glorious, happy face of God shining upon man is the greatest gift one could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased - not because of <span>who</span> you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ - there is no greater source of peace and power in life.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5"><span>i. "Why should he fret when God smiles?</span> What matters though all the world should censure, if Jehovah countenances his <span>servant.</span> A look of approval from God creates a deep, delightful calm within the soul." (Spurgeon)</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">Selah</span></b>: The idea in the Hebrew for this word (occurring 74 times in the Old Testament) is for a <i>pause</i>. Most people think it speaks of a reflective pause, a pause to meditate on the words just spoken. It may also be a musical instruction, for a musical interlude of some kind.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. Think about the greatness of God's mercy, God's blessing, and the approval of God's shining face. "These three petitions include all that we need here or hereafter." (Spurgeon)</p>
|
|
<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,2);">2</a>) <span>The</span> reason for blessing.</p>
|
|
<p class="c2">That <span>Your</span> way may be known on earth,<br>Your salvation among all nations.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">That <span>Your</span> way may be known on earth</span></b>: The reason the Psalmist asks for this high and great blessing isn't a selfish reason. He asks for this blessing for the sake of God's glory, and for the sake of the perishing multitudes.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Your way</span></b>: Not simply the truth of God, or the word of God to be published abroad – but for <span><b><span class="c3">Your</span></b></span><b><span class="c3"> way</span></b>, the <b><span class="c3">way</span></b> of the Lord, to <b><span class="c3">be known on earth</span></b>. This reminds us of the idea behind the great missionary passage of <a onclick="return mV('Mat',28,'19-20');">Mat 28:19-20</a>: <i>Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age</i>. Jesus didn't tell them only to evangelize and save souls, but to <i>make disciples of all the nations</i>, and to teach them <i>to observe all <span>thing</span> that I have commanded you</i>.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. Of course, we need to <i>know</i> God's Word to walk in His <b><span class="c3">way</span></b>; but walking in His <b><span class="c3">way</span></b> is more than knowing His Word!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">May be known on earth</span></b>: The Psalmist has a beautiful <i>scope</i> in mind. Not just Jerusalem, not just Judea, not just all of Israel, not just all the Middle East, not just all the Mediterranean world, not just his continent or hemisphere, but all the <b><span class="c3">earth</span></b>! God wants us to have the <i>same heart</i> and the <i>same vision</i> – for all the <b><span class="c3">earth</span></b>!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Your salvation among all nations</span></b>: Of all of the <i>ways</i> of God, this is the most precious and needful. We should see a perishing world and long for God's <b><span class="c3">salvation among all nations</span></b>.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. Again, this is the <i>reason</i> for blessing. Are you a member of the "bless me" club? Always crying out to God, "Bless me, bless me, <span>bless</span> me!" But your cry is essentially a selfish one, the kind of cry a self-interested child makes. Yes, we unashamedly ask God to bless us – but not only for ourselves, but so His way will be made known on all the earth, and His salvation among all nations!</p>
|
|
<p>B. A call to praise God.</p>
|
|
<p class="c1"><span>1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,3);">3</a>) A prayer to God for all peoples.</span></p>
|
|
<p class="c2">Let the peoples praise You, O God;<br>Let all the peoples praise <span>You</span>.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4"><span>a. <b><span class="c3">Let the peoples praise You, O God</span></b></span>: We notice that this is first and foremost a <i>prayer to God</i>. It is fine to call upon the peoples to praise God; but it is also fine to ask God to bring the nations to Himself. When we pray like this, we pray according to the heart of God, who desires that none perish but all come to repentance (<a onclick="return mV('2Pe',3,9);">2Pe 3:9</a>), and who has ordained a <span>great multitude from all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues to praise Him before His throne (<a onclick="return mV('Rev',7,9);">Rev 7:9</a>).</span></p>
|
|
<p class="c4"><span><span>b</span></span><span>. <b><span class="c3">Let all the peoples praise You</span></b></span>: If it wasn't big enough to pray <b><span class="c3">Let the peoples praise You</span></b>, the Psalmist takes it a step deeper: <b><span class="c3">Let <i>all</i> the peoples praise You</span></b>! We don't only want the earth to know God's <i>way</i>; we don't even want it to stop with the nations knowing His <i>salvation</i>. We want the all the peoples to <b><span class="c3">praise</span></b> Him! There is something wonderful about <i>a lot</i> of people praising God, and our walk with God is incomplete until we are praising Him.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. Do we have the same heart? Or will we write off <i>some</i> peoples, instead of having God's heart for <b><span class="c3">all the peoples</span></b>?</p>
|
|
<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,'4-5');">4-5</a>) <span>A</span> joyful anticipation of the Kingdom of God.</p>
|
|
<p class="c2">Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!<br>For <span>You</span> shall judge the people righteously,<br>And govern the nations on earth. Selah<br>Let the peoples praise You, O God;<br>Let all the peoples praise <span>You</span>.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!</span></b> Why? Why should the nations be so happy? <span>Because God is coming to <b><span class="c3">judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth</span></b>.</span> Jesus is coming back, and it should make us even more excited about bringing the nations God's <i>way</i>, God's <i>salvation</i>, and God's <i>praise</i>.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. God forbid that knowing that Jesus is coming soon should make us <i>less</i> passionate about evangelism and missions. It should make us <i>more</i> passionate!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4"><span>b. <b><span class="c3">Govern the nations on earth</span></b></span>: It's a fact. It's going to happen. Jesus Christ is going to reign on planet earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We want to get the nations ready for it!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Selah</span></b>: This is worthy of reflection – the connection between being passionate about the return of Jesus and a passion to spread the gospel.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4"><span>d. <b><span class="c3">Let the peoples praise <span>You</span></span></b></span>: The idea of <a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,3);">Psa 67:3</a> is so important the Psalmist repeats it. "These words are no vain repetition, but are a chorus worthy to be sung again and again." (Spurgeon)</p>
|
|
<p>C. The answer to this prayer.</p>
|
|
<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,6);">6a</a>) Blessing for the earth.</p>
|
|
<p class="c2"><i>Then </i>the earth shall yield her increase;</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Then the earth shall yield her increase</span></b>: When the earth knows God's way, God's salvation, and God's praise, then she will <b><span class="c3">yield her increase</span></b>. The fruit will come <span>forth,</span> the appointed purpose for the earth will be fulfilled. Praise God!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Shall yield her increase</span></b>: This also tells us that the earth will <i>never</i> <b><span class="c3">yield her increase</span></b>, find its fruitfulness and fulfillment, <i>until</i> she knows God's way, God's salvation, and God's praise.</p>
|
|
<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,'6-7');">6b-7a</a>) Blessing for the one who prayed.</p>
|
|
<p class="c2">God, our own God, shall bless us.<br>God shall bless us,</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">God shall bless us</span></b>: When we share God's heart and vision for the world, we will be blessed. We must be blessed. So we see a glorious circle. We are blessed; we use that blessing to pray for and reach a hurting world, and as that aligns us <span>the with</span> the heart of God, we are blessed even more, so we use that blessing for all the earth, and it just goes on and on.</p>
|
|
<p class="c5">i. It's worth looking at our lives and seeing if we have broken the circle anywhere. Have we stopped believing that God blesses? Have we stopped seeking to extend that blessing? Have we stopped seeing God's heart in it all? If we don't break the circle, we really move from glory to glory!</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">God shall bless us</span></b>: It is repeated twice – in a row – to emphasize the confident expectation.</p>
|
|
<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',67,7);">7b</a>) Conclusion: The answer to the prayer.</p>
|
|
<p class="c2">And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.</p>
|
|
<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">All the ends of the earth shall fear Him</span></b>: God gets the respect, the honor, the praise, the glory, He is worthy of. We may never get respect; we may never face anything but hardship; we may end up poor and broken and persecuted and even laying down our lives – and be more blessed than ever, because God has used us in a great way.</p>
|
|
<script src="./js/Comms/DG_Footer.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|
|
<script src="./js/MainFooter.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
|